Next Hope Journey Program

ASIA's next Hope Journey program will take place at the end of April in Guangdong Province again. That's all the details we have so far, but more to come:-) So before the end of April, let's get Lucy placed and the few other children we have left! We have videos of Samantha available and we have also posted some kids from the shared list on our password protected website. The password will change when the kids from the next Hope Journey program go up, so take a look now:-)
Marci

P.S. I'll update this blog as soon as I have any more information to share about the upcoming Hope Journey camp.

A Win For Adoptive Families in the U.S.!!!

I'm thrilled to report that the Adoption Tax Credit has been extended!!!!! It has also become refundable, so if you don't owe the Federal Government, then you can get the money as a refund! This should help many families overcome the financial burden of adoption. Hopefully that will help many more children and families unite!

ASIA Still has a private waiting child list for a little longer

I have had so many families contact me about adopting Lucy and I'm truly moved that so many are willing to help a child with such a serious condition. That brings me to another point while we continue to advocate for Lucy. ASIA still has several other children on our private waiting child list whose files will have to go back soon. Webster and Wesley, the twin 12 year old boys that want to go into public service jobs are still in need of a family. Niva, who has repaired cleft lip and palate and Hep B is still available. Samantha, Benji, Leo and Henry are all children left on our waiting child list. Not to mention the over 1500 children available on China's shared waiting child list currently. They all have sweet faces and are in need of families to help them reach their full potential. If you knew their stories and saw their pictures, like Lucy's, I'm sure many more of you would come forward. So if you're wanting to adopt a waiting child, contact me and see if one of these children could be the one meant for your family.

An Older Child Adoption Story

At the JCICS Conference a 22 year old boy spoke who had been through the foster care system in the U.S. His story was quite moving and I wanted to share a few of the points that made it so. Perhaps it will help those of you who are adopting older children to understand some of where they're coming from.

After living with his biological mother and younger brother until he was three years old, protecting his younger brother and caring for him, he and his brother were moved to a foster home. The foster parents were able to handle his well behaved younger brother, but not him, as he had taken the brunt of the abuse and acted out. His younger brother was adopted by the couple and he was bounced from home to home. Finally he was put in a home of a couple who wanted to adopt him. He still acted out, as he had been abandoned so many times he didn't believe they would keep him ultimately. His parents took the time to get to know him and find out what he really liked. One of his biggest interests was hockey. So when he would act out and need to express his feelings of pain from his past, his mom would put on hockey goalie pads and tell him to hit her until he felt better. Finally they got it across to him that no matter how "bad" he acted, they would not leave him. He is now 22 years old, has a college degree(after being told he would not even graduate from high school) , speaks around the country and is writing a book. So to those of you who may be struggling--stick with it! It will be hard, but it will change the child's life.

JCICS

I have been at the annual JCICS conference all week. It has been an inspiring day for many reasons. Ideas, expertise and stories were shared, faces were connected with "email faces" and many tears were shed over the inspiring life stories. A couple things really hit me hard today. One was the work that people in this community do, day and night for the children all over the world who need people to fight for them. As they live their lives struggling to survive, those of us over here have to fight to get them what they truly deserve.

I was also enlightened by Love Without Boundaries about the medical care that is truly not available for many of the kids with special needs in China. Many children are on the verge of losing their lives because their special needs can't be treated there. We have one such life in our hands...Lucy's. I have gotten so many emails from families interested in adopting her. I have sent out her file to those who qualify to think seriously about the decision. No one has yet committed to her. So many people are advocating for this little girl in so many different ways. Yet, we need a family to step up and commit to her and proceed with a leap of faith, not knowing the outcome. Lucy is strong now, but we don't know what her future holds. When we do have a family for her for sure, I will post and rejoice. Until then, I will keep asking you to help me in the search to provide a better future for this little girl. She at least deserves a family who can get her the love and treatment she needs. She's a bright, happy girl who will bring joy to a family for however long her life will be. We don't have time to waste in Lucy's case, so if a family comes forward that is not DTC yet, they will have to understand that we cannot hold this child for them, as she may not have that long to wait. We have to do what is in Lucy's best interest and we're trying hard to do that for her. I know that the right family must be out there and I'm hoping we have already found them. I'm hoping I will have good news to share with all of you soon.

The Movement for Lucy

I have to say I'm quite touched by the movement that has developed to help Lucy. So many wonderful people have called, emailed and offered to help her in many different ways. Just a few are considering being her forever family, but many, many want to help her in some way. She has touched the hearts of so many out there with her spirit and spunk. I hope that we can find the family out that that was meant for her. Most likely we need that family to already be in process for a child from China since Lucy has been waiting so long already. She is currently strong and needs to have her surgery before she loses that strength. There are many out there working to find Lucy pro bono health care and spreading the word to help find her family. To all of you--thank you! We hope to help Lucy before it's too late. She certainly seems to be a little survivor! We won't give up, Lucy!

Back to Lucy...

Now that we have found families for most of our Hope Journey kiddos, we really need help finding Lucy a family. This is our hardest placement and yet the most urgent. Lucy is a darling 3 year old girl, but she likely needs a heart transplant due to the severity of her defects. This means that she needs a family with excellent medical insurance as well as a family who can afford to pay for the medical costs beyond what the insurance will cover. She also needs a family that will love her, no matter how long she ends up being on this earth. That's asking a whole lot of a family, so it's understandable that we haven't found one yet. But Lucy is not just a child with a heart defect, she is a bright, happy, survivor who has made it this far and is growing and developing incredibly well. What more can I say about this sweet child?

Happy News!

Happy News has come to ASIA at a time when it was needed...both George and Gina have families in process pursuing them!!! We are very hopeful and optimistic that both will be home before their birthdays when they age out! Big thank you's go to all of you who have been fighting to help those waiting children!
Marci

Older Child Adoption

Here is another great article on older child adoption and why orphans have such a stigma in China: http://www.rainbowkids.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=698

Urgent for Lucy and Julia!!!!

Some of you may be familiar with little Lucy, the spunky survivor with a very serious heart condition that was on our waiting child list. Well, unfortunately, she is back on the list due to no fault of her own. She desperately needs a family that can commit to her despite the uncertainty of her future. She needs a forever family, no matter how long that forever is....we may need to bring her here on a medical visa if we can't find a dtc family for her, as she needs treatment for her heart condition. There are hospitals in the U.S. willing to help her, but not in China. Lucy is a very bright little girl who is very close to her Chinacare mama. You may notice she also has a limb difference, but this doesn't stop her! For more information and pictures and updates on her, please contact me or see our password protected website.

I'm thrilled to report that it looks like Julia's original family will be able to pursue her after all! So no plea for Julia, but we do now need to focus on finding Misty a family!

Please help us advocate for these two children...help their dreams come true! We just need to get them the familis they deserve.

More Waiting Children

Benji is an adorable, round-faced boy with big eyes and a smile that melts your heart. I wish I could show you his pictures--he looks like a real flirt! He is not part of our Hope Journey program, but is on our private list and is in need of a family. Benji will be turning 6 in June and has some finger and toe deformities. He has been living in a foster family since he was 4 months old. He is from a part of China that is heavily Muslim. He is active and clever and loves to be the center of attention. He is very inquisitive and asks many questions. Despite his differences, he is able to hold a pen to draw and could probably teach you or I a thing or two:-) If you would be interested in considering Benji, please contact me right away.

Niva is almost 7 years old and has a repaired cleft lip and palate. She is a very active girl, but is somewhat shy in front of strangers. She is very feminine and girlie, although she loves to play outside and wears a short, spunky haircut. She likes to help younger children. She has used sign language in the past to communicate because her cleft made her difficult to understand. She has been under the loving care of a foster family for many years. She will likely need another surgery to close the remaining hole in her palate.

Wesley and Webster are twin 12 year old boys. They are very sweet, sensitive boys who like to sing and talk with their peers. They can take care of their daily tasks by themselves and are seen standing in their photos together. Wesley wants to be a doctor if he can realize his dream of walking "like a normal person" one day. But he needs to know that he can be a doctor in the U.S. even if he can't walk like a normal person! He needs someone to help him realize his dreams. Webster wants to be a policeman if he can stand like a normal person to help be of service to people like him, since it was a policeman that brought him to the orphanage. He is very interested in school and dedicated to learning. They have been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and have had some treatment and rehabilitation services. They desire a family to help them thrive and reach their full potential before their time runs out for adoption.

Lynn is almost 8 years old and has some finger and toe differences. She is a nice, sweet girl and is in the second grade. Despite her hand and foot differences, she is able to do activities, such as sweeping the floor and cutting paper. She has formed close bonds with her caretakers and likes to cuddle with them and is well liked. She can sing songs, recite poems and write Chinese characters. She can also dress herself and skip on one foot alternately.

Leo is a 10 year old boy who has a hand deformity. He is outgoing, active, polite, lovely and can be stubborn at times. He gets along well with both the staff and the other children at the orphanage. He likes to play games and sports. He studies hard and often helps his caretakers with the younger children. He can take care of all of his daily living tasks, including getting dressed.

Samantha is an adorable 4 year old girl who has an cute nickname in Chinese that matches her captivating smile. She has some joint problems, but has made great strides in the last couple of years. She can walk stably and hold pens to draw. She can feed herself and get dressed. She is extroverted and active and likes to be close to others. She is envious of the children who get adopted and wants a family of her own.

Henry is a cute 12 year old boy with dimples that light up the room. Henry has club foot, but it doesn't stop him! He is an active boy who is lovely, outgoing and a good helper to his teachers. He loves sports and is one of the fastest always winning first. He has gained a nickname, which is the equivalent to "speedy." He wants a family of his own. Do we have the next Olympian here?

Please contact me if you have any interst in any of these children before we have to return their files next month--time is short!

Marci
marcisk@asiadopt.org

John!!!

Good News! I'm thrilled to report that John has a family pursuing him!!!! We knew there had to be a family for him and they have found him and decided to pursue him--congratulations to John and his family!

We also hope to have good news about George very soon:-) If that is the case there will only be three little darlings that we have been unable to find families for so far....Lin, Jillian and Gregory. Let's hope that we find their families, too, very soon! We also have many other deserving waiting children, both boys and girls waiting to find their families, so check in with me and see if one of them may be the child you've been waiting for!
Marci
marcisk@asiadopt.org

Happy News--Welcome Home Lily!

The first of our Hope Journey children is home with her family! She was the first to steal my heart and I wrote about her way back in the beginning....she has charisma and I could tell that just from the pictures I received--she stuck her way into a lot of them, but now appears to avoid the camera with her forever family:-) Anyway, I'm thrilled to welcome them all home as a new family! They're all adjusting well and "Lily" has proven to be quite a character.

Anyone Looking to adopt a deaf child?

Every once in a while I get emails from families looking to adopt a deaf child. Unfortunately, those families haven't contated me recently and we have two deaf children! Lin is the adorable little boy from our Hope Journey program and Daniel is another boy on our waiting child list. Both boys have quite the little personalities and would no doubt make the right families very happy. If you know any families looking to adopt a deaf child, please send them my way before tomorrow when I have to send files back.

Thank you,

Marci

A smile is worth Millions but doesn't cost a dime....

Someone wrote that lovely post in a comment in Chinese--thank you! It's so true! Even when you're feeling down, a child's smile can light up a room and your heart! That said, I sadly have to send back Tate, Flynn and Sherman's files. I've had them too long and their families have not stepped forward yet. Hopefully they will have another chance with another agency somewhere. We have a lot to be proud of and grateful for the many families who have stepped forward to welcome many wonderful children into their lives. If any of those families would like to share their stories, please contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Files Going Back

Flynn and Sherman are two boys whose files we are about to send back. They are both adorable and we have many pictures and updates of them. Flynn is almost 6 years old and has repaired cleft lip and palate. He is active, clever, lively and bright and likes to be around other children. He takes good care of his younger sisters and brothers.

Sherman is a spitfire of a little boy that I've been desperately trying to find a family to adopt him for a very long time. I'm going to have to face failure and send his file back very soon. So if anyone has any interest in a charming boy with a heart condition who is true survivor, a little mischevious and all boy, please contact me about Sherman before I send his file back!

Thank you,
Marci

Waiting Children

We have given so much attention to our Hope Journey children that I feel we need to devote some efforts to our other waiting children as well. Although I will mention that we are still looking for families for John a healthy 10 year old boy, Lin, Jillian, George and Gregory. Please see previous posts to find out more about them, or reference our website waiting child section.

Samantha is another waiting child whose smile would capture your heart if you saw it! She's on our password protected website, so contact me if you would like to view her information. She has the cutest nickname! According to her most recent update, she walks stably and can hold pens or pencils to draw. She is four years old and has a joint condition, but has made great strides in the last year. She is an extroverted and active little girl who likes to be close to others. She has talked with the caregivers at her orphanage and told them she is envious of the children who are adopted into foreign families. She desires to have a family of her own as well. Is there a family out there who would consider Samantha?

Benji is an adorable 5 year old boy with hand differences. He has a round face, big eyes and a captivating smile that lights up a room. He has been living with a foster family since he was four months old. Benji is an active and clever boy who is popular at the orphanage. He likes playing and laughing and his favorite activity is playing kickball. He also likes singing and listening to music. He is able to draw, count, and say the names of animals. He has a good command of language and likes to ask a lot of questions. He is adored by his foster family and a bit spoiled. He is in a remote area of China, which is home to large and unique community. Additional information is available from someone who knows him. If you could be Benji's family, please contact me:

marcisk@asiadopt.org

Been There, Done That...

For those of you who have been there and done that, already having adopted older children, we would love your input! Can you share your story for posting on our blog to help those who are considering adopting older children in the future? We need the good, the bad and the ugly---the joys and the challenges so families go into it with their eyes wide open. Can you contribute a story? Email marci if you would like to share: marcisk@asiadopt.org Thank you!

Another Journey of Hope

ASIA will likely have another opportunity to do a Hope Journey program in late winter or early spring! If any of the children in our last program captivated you or inspired you to adopt an older child, get started now so that your home study will be done when the next camp happens. Families with approved home studies will have priority! Of course the goal is to place all of the children and we're still not giving up on those last few in our current program who need families: Lin, John, Jillian, George and Gregory. Plus, ASIA has quite a few other waiting children on our individual waiting child list. We have girls and boys of all ages with captivating smiles waiting for their forever families to find them. Come explore our waiting child section of our website for more information!

Those of you who have helped find these children families have truly changed their lives! Thank you!

There's Hope

There's Hope for Gina and George! Hooray! We got an incredible response to our post about Gina and it looks like we have a family for her:-) Keep your fingers crossed for George, too. Nothing is guaranteed until we get them home before their birthdays, and that goes for the other kids aging out this summer, too. Hopefully we can move mountains for these kids!

And still little John waits. He is not about to age out like the others, but he is a sweet, sensitive boy who gets along well with others and is respectful of authority. Surely there is a family that wants a boy like him? We don't want to send his file back, but it is getting close to that time. We hope we can find his family before that happens. Contact me if you might be interested: marcisk@asiadopt.org